The Customs department thwarted an attempt to smuggle containers filled with rice at Kochi on Friday. According to customs officials, three containers filled with smuggled rice were seized, bringing the total number of containers seized in the past month to 13. The officials said that the total value of the seized rice is approximately Rs. 4.5 crores. It is reported that a concerted effort is being made by traders from Kerala and Chennai to smuggle large quantities of rice through the Vallarpadam Container Transhipment Terminal.
As of now, official permission is being given only for Matta rice to be exported on payment of duty. Central government imposed a ban on export of all other varieties of rice. This is being done to ensure a situation where the country would not face shortage of rice. If the rice produced in India would be exported to places like Dubai, the traders would get three fold profit. This makes the traders go for smuggling of rice through the ports of India.
On Friday, three containers belonging to a trader from Chennai were brought to Vallarpadam labelled with ‘salt’. This containers are marked to be sent for London. But, the customs department had received a tip off earlier regarding the fraud as sacks of rice were hidden beneath the sacks of salt in these containers. When the customs team checked the sacks placed on top they could see only salt. But, as they inspected the sacks beneath, rice sacks filled with biriyani rice worth Rs. 160/- per kg were found.
Earlier, some traders from Kozhikode too had tried to smuggle out rice last month. Customs had seized 10 containers of these traders. The networth of the rice seized in this operation would come around Rs. 3.5 crores. If the traders would be able to successfully smuggle out the rice to foreign countries a trader would get Rs. 3 crores whereas he could get only Rs. 1 crore in the domestic market. The customs department would hand over the details of the traders involved in the smuggling incident to the Customs Intelligence department.
(source: Mathrubhumi)